Wayne Rooney wants to be England's Eric Cantona

Wayne Rooney yesterday admitted he has not always performed at his best for his country

Wayne Rooney yesterday admitted he has not always performed at his best for his country

Rooney yesterday admitted he has not always performed at his best for his country, particularly at major tournaments.

But the 26-year-old United striker, who is set to win his 77th England cap against San Marino on Friday, said it was time he became a role model.

When Cantona arrived at United in 1992, the French legend shocked David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary and Phil Neville by staying behind after regular training to practise free-kicks, shooting and other skills.

And the England quartet were soon being given private lessons by Cantona as they took their game up a level.

Now Rooney feels he can do the same with England youngsters like Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Asked if he now felt like a senior player in the England squad, Rooney said: “I hope so, especially with a lot of young players in the squad. I always try to speak to them and offer advice.

"I always remember Alex Ferguson says what a big help Cantona was to all those younger players at United.

“It is something I can look at and try do for England, with all these younger players.

“Hopefully I can bring the best out of them and they can bring the best out of me as well.

“I feel we are working well, with a lot of younger players in the squad, and there is a different feel and way of playing when we are on the training pitch. It’s a case of us moving forward.”

Bringing out the best in Rooney is something England managers have struggled to do and he has often been singled out as a big disappointment at major tournaments.

Prior to Euro 2012 he had not scored at one since 2004, but he did manage to bag the winner against Ukraine in Donetsk in June.

But as he approaches his 27th birthday in just over a fortnight, Rooney appears to have been thinking about his international legacy more and more.

And a quote at the FA’s new £105m training centre in Burton, Staffordshire, has helped inspire Rooney to fulfil the potential which saw boss Roy Hodgson mention him in the same breath as Pele at Euro 2012.

It is from Aussie swimming ace Ian Thorpe, the winner of five Olympic gold medals.

He famously said: “Losing is not coming second. It’s getting out of the water knowing you could have done better.”

And Rooney admitted: “It stuck in my mind.”

Many will say he has often sunk without trace, most notably in the 0-0 draw against Algeria at the World Cup in 2010.

“It makes you think what this is all about,” added Rooney of the St George’s Park experience, which celebrates the great and the good of England’s football history, including the World Cup heroes of 1966.

Rooney also confessed he may have set himself up to be knocked down in the past, most recently when he ‘prepared’ for the European Championships by going to Las Vegas, where he was pictured in a nightclub in the early hours.

“Looking back, I can understand why maybe the fans weren’t happy,” he said.

“I understand the scrutiny, I have no problem with that. Hopefully in the near future we will be coming out of a tournament and people will all be praising me because we have won a trophy.”

The former Everton star, who claimed not to have seen criticism from former England boss Fabio Capello, saying he only performed at his best for his club, added: “I’d have liked to have played better for England. For whatever reasons it hasn’t happened.

“But I can hold my head up high and say I’ve always worked hard, given everything and I’ll continue to do that.

“My dad and my agent are my toughest critics, which I respect because they are honest with me.

“If I don’t do well, I will know myself. But they ask why when it sometimes happens.

“Being honest, as a team we can do better. I’m not going to win a tournament on my own. We need the whole team.

“There have been times when we can do better as a team and been times where we have been unlucky – Italy, Portugal, twice, on penalties. If one of those goes the other way, you never know what will happen.”